BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (Sept 20, 2025) – The opening ceremony of the 2025 Kyrgyzstan WT-KCF Cares Program was held in Bishkek on September 20 at the Alga Sports Complex, alongside the launch of the 2nd Nomad GCS International Open Taekwondo Championship, drawing an audience of around 600.

The ceremony welcomed several distinguished guests, including World Taekwondo President Dr. Chungwon Choue, WT Council Members Mr. Magableh Maher and Mr. Saddad Al Amri, Taekwondo India President Mr. Namdev Shirgaonker, and Jordan Taekwondo Federation Vice President Mr. Hazem Naimat. Also in attendance were Mr. Umbetaly Toktoralievitch Kydyraliev, President of the Kyrgyz National Olympic Committee, and Mr. Alexey Park, President of the Taekwondo Association of the Kyrgyz Republic.

In his address, President Choue expressed his gratitude to the Korea Culture Foundation (KCF) for providing financial support to the 2025 Kyrgyzstan WT Cares Program.

The ceremony featured a Taekwondo demonstration by about 70 students from two Bishkek orphanages—SOS Children’s Village and Aidanek Center. Nearly 100 orphans from the two institutions are beneficiaries of the 2025 Kyrgyzstan WT Cares Program, supported by KCF.

Earlier in the day, around 50 members of GCS and WT visited the Aidanek Center to deliver an electronic organ and two television sets to Director Mrs. Elmira Jumaeva. The center’s 35 Taekwondo students performed a demonstration that received warm applause from the visitors.

From 2022 to 2024, Kyrgyzstan’s Cares Program was supported by the Asia Development Foundation (ADF). Beginning this year, however, the financial backing transitioned to the KCF. With this support, World Taekwondo is operating Cares Programs in Kyrgyzstan and Bhutan in 2025, while continuing to fund initiatives in six other countries—Nepal, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Pakistan, Kenya, and Burundi—through its own resources.